filigree (n) -- delicate and intricate ornamental work made from gold, silver, or other fine twisted wire
absolve (v) -- to pronounce clear of guilt or blame
efficacy (n) -- power or capacity to produce a desired effect; effectiveness
allot (v) -- to parcel out; distribute or apportion
parcel (n) -- something wrapped up or packaged; a package
(v) -- to divide into parts and distribute
apportion (v) -- to divide and assign according to a plan; allot
disseminate (v) -- to scatter widely, as in sowing seed
nefarious (adj.) -- infamous by way of being extremely wicked
infamous (adj.) -- having an exceedingly bad reputation; notorious
notorious (adj.) -- known widely and usually unfavorably; infamous
obeisance (n) -- a gesture or movement of the body, such as a curtsy, that expresses deference or homage
deference (n) -- submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another
homage (n) -- 1. ceremonial acknowledgment by a vassal of allegiance to his lord under feudal law 2. special honor or respect shown or expressed publicly
vassal (n) -- a person who held land from a feudal lord and received protection in return for homage and allegiance
feudal (adj.) -- of, relating to, or characteristic of feudalism
feudalism (n) -- a political and economic system of Europe from the 9th to about the 15th century, based on the holding of all land in fief or fee and the resulting relation of lord to vassal and characterized by homage, legal and military service of tenants, and forfeiture
fief (n) -- a fiefdom; fee
fiefdom (n) -- the estate or domain of a feudal lord
fee (n) -- 5. a. in feudal law, an estate in land granted by a lord to his vassal on condition of homage and service b. the land so held
forfeiture (n) -- the act of surrendering something as a forfeit
obfuscate (v) -- to render obscure and/or darken
indubitable (adj.) -- too apparent to be doubted; unquestionable
pied (adj.) -- patchy in color; splotched or piebald
piebald (adj./n) -- spotted or patched, especially in black and white; a piebald animal, especially a horse
centennial (adj.) -- of or relating to an age or period of 100 years
(n) -- a 100th anniversary or celebration of it
insipid (adj.) --lacking flavor or zest; not tasty
catenary (n) -- the curve formed by a perfectly flexible, uniformly dense, and inextensible cable suspended from its endpoints
carpophagous (adj.) -- feeding on fruit; fruit-eating
carrel (n) -- a partially partitioned nook in or near the stacks in a library, used for private study
butyraceous (adj.) -- resembling butter in appearance, consistency, or chemical properties